FFA Partners With Broadwater Blooms
Author: Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter
FFA Partners With Broadwater Blooms Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter Spring is already in the air for Broadwater Blooms and the local FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter as a symbiotic relationship grows between the two.
For most of the year, the greenhouse used by the Broadwater FFA sits empty — that is, until the group is ready for its big spring fundraiser. But now, the chapter hopes to use the greenhouse year-round while helping a local floral store: Broadwater Blooms.
Lisa Higgins, the owner of Broadwater Blooms, said she’s usually able to find the various types of plants she’d like to sell in her store; however, she often has to order from various vendors. Additionally, some of her plants and flowers don’t handle the travel well.
FFA hopes to eliminate these problems by growing the plants and flowers themselves, all the while providing the students with actual experience in a horticulture career. The partnership also allows the students to work directly with the community, according to Broadwater High School paraprofessional and Broadwater FFA alumni Rick Naber.
“Anytime we can get kids working with the community, it gets our name out there,” Naber said, adding that it shows that FFA is trying hard to teach students new things.
Naber comes from an area with a forest of horticulture programs; however, Townsend is a desert for these types of programs.
“[It’s] one more avenue for kids to make a career, or at least make some money in high school,” Naber said.
Higgins is also excited for the partnership as it will allow her to handpick plants and reduce the amount of time between the “cut” and the sale of flowers.
While the two groups continue to figure out their partnership dynamic, Higgins said FFA hopes to provide many of the plants and flowers for the shop by Mother’s Day, with a complete takeover in just two years.
Not only will Broadwater FFA be using the partnership as an opportunity to make money, but it will be a chance for the chapter’s recently created horticulture team to practice before next year’s competitions.
Events that this team will participate in include producing plants, designing arrangements and making corsages.
Higgins expressed excitement to teach the FFA students their next skill: bouquet making. But overall, she’s eager to benefit the community.
“I love supporting the school,” she said, adding that the partnership will likely lower her costs and make her services more accessible to the community. The partnership will be a “benefit for everyone,” she said.
Naber hopes to take next year’s horticulture group to the national convention.
“I think we’ll do quite well,” he said.
As for the rest of the community, they can get involved with FFA and the horticulture program too.
Anyone whose interested is encouraged to get involved Naber said: “We can always use more people”.
